Cultural Transmission of Information: Evidence of Epistemic Vigilance Across Children, Adults, and Non-human Informants

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Transmission of information through communication is inherently complicated by the possibility of manipulation or misinformation. As such, practicing epistemic vigilance is paramount to protecting oneself against false information. In the studies presented here, we showcase empirical evidence of epistemic vigilance across the lifespan. Although past studies suggest that young children have a strong bias to trust what they are told, Paper 1 presents evidence that, as early as 3 years of age, children can successfully reflect on their first-hand knowledge to evaluate the truthfulness of information provided by others, and that this ability is particularly robust in the face of non-human versus human informants. Paper 2 reveals that, by age 6, children can move beyond first hand evidence to draw inferences of deception based on nonverbal cues of adult informants. The researchers argue that this ability is not explained by levels of executive functioning or theory of mind, but is linked to a developing understanding of involuntary actions as signals of truth. Paper 3 presents two studies that compare the abilities of human adults to artificial intelligence software in detecting deception among child informants. Their findings suggest that adults’ veracity judgements may be driven by pre-existing biases of children’s trait truthfulness rather than by mechanisms that accurately predict when a child is or is not lying. Conversely, AI software appear to successfully analyze facial expressions to discriminate between truth tellers and liars. The discussant, an expert in sociocultural learning, will highlight implications for how children approach learning from others.

Sub Unit

• Social Cognition

Chair

• Maliki E. Ghossainy, Boston University

Discussant

• Kang Lee, University of Toronto

Individual Presentations

• First-hand Knowledge Helps 3-year-olds Reinterpret Misinformation From Broken Machines, but not From Deceptive People - Presenting Author: Carolyn M Palmquist, Amherst College; Non-Presenting Author: Robyn Lindsey Kondrad, James Madison University

• Epistemic Vigilance in Early Childhood: The Role of Nonverbal Behavior in Children’s Decisions of Trust - Presenting Author: Maliki E. Ghossainy, Boston University; Non-Presenting Author: Jacqueline D Woolley, University of Texas at Austin

• Detecting Children’s Lies: Credibility Assessments and Nonverbal Facial Expressions - Presenting Author: Sarah Zanette, University of Regina; Non-Presenting Author: Kaila Bruer, University of Regina; Non-Presenting Author: Makenzie Furlong, University of Regina; Non-Presenting Author: Xiao Pan Ding, National University of Singapore; Non-Presenting Author: Thomas D Lyon, University of Southern California; Non-Presenting Author: Kang Lee, University of Toronto